Ruling Wins Against Working Class
THE column ‘The BIG bugger-up’ (The Namibian, July 3 2010) by Rambler was refreshingly forthright. Unfortunately, all the discussions about the Namibian government’s unwillingness to implement a basic income grant seemed to have missed a fundamental issue.
What President Pohamba could not admit when asked about the basic income grant was that he was merely following orders from the IMF/World Bank not to allow such a grant in Namibia. Pohamba had to think quickly to say something else but would now forever be remembered for that cold response about the BIG. The fact is that Swapo is not in charge of the economy and this shows what a sham this elitist democracy is.
I would also hope that this productive debate about BIG in the country would continue to highlight the horrible unemployment rate and perhaps encourage the entire Namibian working class to discuss other demands as well that could improve their lives. The unemployment rate in Namibia is an indication that the ruling class is currently winning the class war against the working class. Unemployment is completely disastrous to our working-class communities. It is not a natural disaster like a flood or an earthquake but is caused by business owners who want to make a profit at the expense of others. The Namibian government passes laws that make this possible. And it does not have to be like this. We should be able to imagine a different Namibia. In parts of India, for example, the government is legally bound to provide work to all those who are able-bodied. In Venezuela, the housewives receive a grant from government for house chores. We should therefore call on the BIG coalition to go further and to broaden the demands for the sake of the Namibian working class. We should demand:
1. the immediate introduction of an adequate basic income grant so that all people can live a life of dignity;
2. the creation of an unemployment insurance fund to provide a living allowance for a reasonable period of time;
3. one-year guaranteed work at a living wage in a public works program;
4. an end to casualisation and labour flexibility;
5. reduction of the work week without loss of pay;
6. stopping of all retrenchments;
7. paying caregivers - especially for children and HIV-AIDS sufferers - as the basis for the rewarding of the (unpaid) labour of women;
8. diversification of our economy on the basis of an inward-oriented industrial strategy;
9. fundamental land and agrarian reform to ensure sustainable livelihoods;
10. putting the right to work in the constitution.
The Namibian working class should realise that the bureaucratic and reformist leadership of the NUNW cannot make the above demands possible.
It is high noon for the Namibian working class to form their mass workers’ party. Imagine a different Namibia!
S. South
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